In this issue: Michelle was gone, it was boys weekend, and we went to war at the soccer fields all weekend long. Two finals. Two second place finishes. And more lessons packed into three days than most people get in a season. Oh and your money move this week has nothing to do with the stock market.
PERSONAL
Michelle took off last week to visit her best friend and catch Phantom of the Opera... which meant the house was officially in boys mode.
Not just boys weekend though. First tournament weekend of the year. And we were walking into some serious unknowns.
Croix was playing with a mixed club team put together just for this tournament... new teammates, new chemistry, nobody knowing what to expect. Lincoln got bumped up a couple of tiers and was playing for a brand new team for the first time. Neither of us knew what we were about to see. Turns out... we were about to see a lot.
Friday
Lincoln's new team dropped their first game 3-1. The effort was there but they just weren't meshing yet... 14 boys who've never played together trying to figure each other out in real time. It takes time. Meanwhile Croix's team came out and took a thriller 3-2... with Croix picking up an assist and making some absolutely ridiculous diving saves. Kid is fearless in that goal.
Saturday
More good stuff. Both boys kept winning and tying their way through the bracket. The highlight of the day was Croix getting matched up against a team he actually subs for as their goalkeeper during league play. He knew every single one of their shooters. And he SHUT. THEM. OUT. Lincoln's team started clicking... figured out how they move together and pulled a 2-1 victory with all the scoring done in the first half.
Sunday... Win and you're in
Lincoln's squad dominated a lower tier club team 5-0. Lincoln got a right footed assist... worth noting because he is absolutely a lefty! Croix's team battled to a 2-1 win which set up a rematch in the final against the exact same team they just beat. Meanwhile Lincoln gets to play in the final against the only team that beat them all weekend... Friday's 3-1 loss. Full circle.
The Finals
Lincoln's game was up first. They grabbed a 2-1 lead and it was looking good... then Lincoln tweaked his hip flexor and had to come off for a stretch. That's when the wheels came off. Final score 4-2. He was upset. Not just about the loss but about feeling like he let his team down by being on the sideline. That's a hard feeling to carry at his age... but it's also exactly the kind of thing that builds a competitor. You'll remember that pain and you'll take care of your body differently because of it.
Croix's final was a war. Ended 1-1 and went to a penalty shootout. They lost it 4-3. Croix had a tough game... the ball just wasn't finding him, he wasn't as effective as he wanted to be, and when the shootout came he was next up but they ran out before it got to him. He was devastated. Wanted to take that kick more than anything. That's going to sit with him for a while... and honestly at 9 years old, it should. Not to punish him... but because that feeling is fuel.
Two second place finishes after six plus hours a day at the fields cheering on teammates and friends and watching both boys give everything they had. I'll take that every single time.
THIS WEEK'S DROPS
NoBS Wealth — Skip the Estate Plan, Wreck Your Family with Griffin Bridgers
I know... nobody wants to talk about estate planning. It sounds boring, it feels morbid, and most people convince themselves they'll get to it eventually. Eventually is how families end up in court fighting over assets while they're supposed to be grieving.
We brought Griffin Bridgers back and this time we went deep. Here's what you'll get:
Why skipping your estate plan isn't just a legal risk... it's a family destruction risk
What actually happens to your assets, your kids, and your business if you die without a plan in place
The emotional and relational side of estate planning that attorneys almost never talk about
Why a document you signed ten years ago might be doing more harm than good right now
This one is for every person who has been putting this conversation off. Stop putting it off.
LGR — The Economy Isn't Recovering. You're Just Outside.
This one is going to hit some of you harder than others. Because we've all had moments where we stepped outside, felt the sun, and told ourselves things were getting better... when really we just took a break from looking at the problem.
Here's what we got into:
Why "I'm doing okay" and "the economy is recovering" are two completely different statements
How financial stress hides itself until it doesn't... and what that looks like in real life
The difference between actual recovery and just getting used to a new level of struggle
What it actually takes to build stability when the ground keeps shifting underneath you
NEW: The Big Boys Channel
My boys Lincoln and Croix have their own YouTube channel now. Filmed it, edited it, put it together all by themselves. Young minds doing their thing... it's honestly hilarious and I could not be more proud. Go subscribe, leave them a comment, show them some love.
MONEY MOVES TO MAKE
This week I'm not giving you a stock tip. I'm not telling you to open a new account or rebalance your portfolio.
This week's money move is simple: Slow the f*** DOWN!
I told y’all a couple weeks ago that I was going to take more time for myself and my space... and I meant it. I've been doing it. No emails before 8. Nothing after 4. Phone down more than it's been in years. Walks with Michelle back on the schedule. Being present at the boys' games instead of half-watching with my brain somewhere else.
And here's what I can tell you from the other side of just a couple weeks of this...
You make better decisions when you're not running on empty. You see things more clearly. The noise of the market, the news, the war, the volatility... it doesn't disappear but it stops feeling like it's all on you to solve it simultaneously.
Most of the bad financial decisions people make... the panic selling, the impulse purchases, the "opportunity" they chased because they were stressed and desperate for a win... they happen when people are depleted. Burned out. Overwhelmed.
So this week, your actual money move is:
Stop checking your accounts and portfolio every single day. It doesn't change because you watched it.
If you're a business owner, stop answering emails at 10pm. Nothing that arrives at 10pm is actually on fire.
Take one hour this week that belongs completely to you. Not your family, not your clients, not your to-do list. You.
Go outside. Move your body. Let your brain breathe.
The clearest financial thinking I've ever done has happened when I stepped away from the noise long enough to actually think. I promise you the same is true for you.
The Modern Family Office exists for exactly this reason... to take some of the weight off so you can actually think clearly about what matters. BlackMammoth.com/modernfamilyoffice
MONEY MINDSET
Watch a nine year old lose a penalty shootout he never even got to take.
Watch an eleven year old limp off the field with his team up 2-1 and come back to find out they lost 4-2 while he was on the sideline.
Then watch both of them shake hands, walk off the field with their heads up, and start talking about next weekend.
That right there... that is the whole lesson.
Second place stings. Losses sting. Sitting on the sideline while something you care about slips away from you stings in a way that's hard to describe. But the kids who learn to feel that sting and come back anyway... those are the ones who become something.
Same is true in your financial life. You're going to lose some. You're going to miss the kick. You're going to come off the field when the game is still going and watch something slip.
The question isn't whether it'll happen.
It's what you do when you walk off that field.
Slow down. Feel it. Learn from it. Come back.
See you next Tuesday.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Money — Black-led. Built to Stay In the Black.
Not financial advice. Do your own research. Talk to a professional.
